Flame-resistant sheet with candle wick support

ABSTRACT

A freestanding candle has a flame-resistant sheet adhered to a wick support and to a fuel body in a location proximate to the lower end of a wick. The sheet reduces the risk of fire hazards that arise during the later stages of candle burning, which are characterized by a thin candle floor and a pool of liquid fuel surrounding the wick support. The wick support is made longer and sealingly adhered to the sheet to further reduce the risk of fire hazards. The structural combination of the wick support, the sealant, and the sheet facilitates even burning during the life of the candle and self-extinguishment of the flame at the end stage of burning.

(e) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention relates generally to candles, and morespecifically to a structure that reduces some fire hazards associatedwith burning a freestanding candle.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] The information contained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,850 to Pappas isincorporated herein by reference.

[0005] A candle is one or more combustible wicks supported by a materialthat constitutes a fuel, which is solid, semi-solid, or quasi-rigid atroom temperature, 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (20degrees Celsius to 26 degrees Celsius); it can also contain additiveswhich are used for color, odor, stability, or to modify the burningcharacteristics; the combined function of which is to sustain alight-producing flame. A candle is freestanding if it is capable ofstanding upright on its own without requiring a support such as acontainer or a candle holder. The freestanding candle bums a fuel andhas a flame that vaporizes the fuel as capillary action draws the fuelup the wick to the flame. As the fuel is burned, the flame generatesheat that melts the fuel into a pool of liquid fuel, which accumulatesaround the wick in an interior region of the candle.

[0006] A characteristic of the burning freestanding candle is thepresence of a peripheral wall around the pool of liquid fuel. Theperipheral wall is a barrier that is composed of fuel that remainsintegral as the candle burns. The wick is positioned within thefreestanding candle, spaced from a candle outer surface a distance thatpromotes the formation of the peripheral wall, as the areas of fuelnearer to the heat of the flame melt into the pool. The pool of liquidfuel is desirably contained in the candle interior from the sides by theperipheral wall, thereby keeping the fuel from draining onto surroundingobjects or surfaces.

[0007] The pool of liquid fuel is desirably contained in the candleinterior from underneath by a candle floor. The candle floor is theintegral fuel underneath the pool of liquid fuel, having a thicknessextending upwardly from a bottom surface of the candle to the bottom ofthe pool of liquid fuel, ending at an interface between the integralfuel and the liquid fuel at the pool bottom. The thickness of the candlefloor decreases as the integral fuel is liquefied by the heat andconsumed by the flame.

[0008] Freestanding candles often have a wick support to hold the wick,so that the wick does not fall over and ashes properly in the laterstages of its operative life. During these stages, the flame and thepool of liquid fuel are usually located deep in the candle interior, andthe wick support is often loosely sitting in the pool of liquid fuel ona thin candle floor. The wick support may tip and bring the flame intocontact with the liquid fuel, which may be ignited. The liquid fuel canseep under the wick support and melt through any remaining fuelcomposing the thin candle floor. The liquid fuel can escape containment,flowing from the candle onto surrounding objects and surfaces, which mayabsorb the fuel. If the escaped fuel subsequently combusts, then theheat can ignite the fuel-soaked surroundings, and a candle fire results.

[0009] Other fire hazards that involve the formation of the pool ofliquid fuel and the peripheral wall may arise as the freestanding candlebums. Factors that can disrupt the ability of the peripheral wall tocontain the pool of liquid fuel include air drafts and placement of thecandle in a non-vertical position, as well as a tipped wick support. Anair draft can cause the flame to lean, which in turn causes the heatfrom the flame to melt one area of the peripheral wall more than anotherarea. Similarly, non-vertical placement of the candle tilts the candlewith respect to the longitudinal axis of the wick. The tilt brings onearea of the peripheral wall closer to the flame, and the heat melts theone area of the peripheral wall more than another area. Likewise, atipped wick support can bring the flame close to the peripheral wall. Inall situations the heat from the flame can melt a passage through theperipheral wall, which compromises the structural integrity necessary tocontain the pool of liquid fuel.

[0010] If the peripheral wall is not integral, then certain fire hazardsarise. As when the thin candle floor melts, the pool of liquid fuel maydrain from the candle interior through an opening in the meltedperipheral wall, flowing onto and soaking into surrounding objects andthe candle-supporting surface. Subsequent combustion of the fuel canignite the objects or the surface. Additionally, the draining of liquidfuel from the candle interior results in a sudden decrease in the pooldepth. The sudden drop in the pool depth exposes to the flame a portionof the wick that was formerly underneath the pool surface. The flameimmediately spreads downwardly and rapidly consumes this unburned,liquid fuel-coated portion of the wick. The result is a dangerouslylarge flame that can melt through the candle floor and large areas ofthe peripheral wall.

[0011] An additional fire hazard arises due to the sudden draining ofliquid fuel from the candle interior. Some wicking can intentionally bemanufactured to arc and curl through areas of the flame that oxidize thewick material to ash. Complete disintegration of the wick materialresults while burning slowly under normal burning conditions, so no wickmaterial accumulates in the candle interior. However, after spreadingdownwardly due to the sudden draining of liquid fuel from the candleinterior, the candle soon returns to normal burning conditions, and theflame becomes smaller at a new point on the wick. Often a top portion ofthe wick remains partially-combusted and outside of the smaller flame,because the top portion was unable to spend enough time in the oxidizingpart of the flame prior to the pool draining. But, now the wick maycompletely ash at the new point on the wick by the smaller flame, so thetop portion can lose support and fall into the pool. Subsequentcombustion of the top portion may result in a dangerously large flamethat can burn through the candle floor.

[0012] A similar fire hazard arises when combustible materialsaccumulate in the pool of liquid fuel. Such materials may include anunburned wick portion as described above, carbon balls, and burnedmatches. These materials may be ignited by the candle flame, producing asecondary wick that can supplement the flaming wick and make adangerously large flame. Heat from the flame can melt the candle floorand the peripheral wall, so surrounding objects and surfaces may becomeexposed to the flame. Also, the flaming secondary wick may float throughmelted areas of the peripheral wall, off the side of the candle and ontoa flammable surface.

[0013] Carbon balls are incomplete products of combustion that havebecome deposited on the end of the wick, and may include materials suchas soot and condensed gas found in smoke. Carbon balls can detach fromthe wick and fall into the pool of liquid fuel, where they accumulateand become soaked with liquid fuel. The liquid fuel may combust, therebyigniting the carbon balls, which become secondary wicks. Likewise, aburned match in the pool of liquid fuel may become a secondary wick.

[0014] Another fire hazard during the later stages of the operative lifeof the candle may arise when the pool of liquid fuel becomes shallow.The fuel in the shallow pool can become hot enough to vaporize and nolonger needs the wick to burn. This phenomenon is called flash orflashover. Once the upper surface of the pool descends nearly to thebottom of the candle, the fuel can be elevated above its flashpointtemperature, typically about 425 degrees Fahrenheit with conventional,common fuels. During flashover, an ensuing candle fire may have atemperature elevated to at least 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. The hightemperature can ignite vaporized fuel, and a container holding thecandle may break violently due to uneven stress on the container causedby the build-up of excessive heat. If the candle has no container, thenin the later stages of burning the candle, the excessive heat can meltthrough the sides and bottom of the candle. Liquid fuel can flow ontoand soak into surrounding objects and the candle-supporting surface. Thefuel can ignite and combust the fuel-soaked surroundings, and a candlefire results.

[0015] The candle fire and flashover problems are addressed by causingthe flame to be extinguished when the pool of liquid fuel becomesshallow. In a freestanding candle with a wick support, the flameextinguishes by making the wick support fuel-impervious, therebypreventing liquid fuel from flowing into contact with the lower end ofthe wick that is held within the wick support. When the surface of thepool of liquid fuel descends below the top of the wick support, theflame becomes fuel-starved and is quickly extinguished. In this way, theaccumulation of excessive heat is eliminated.

(f) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0016] A sheet composed of a flame-resistant material is contacted to afuel-impervious wick support, and joined to a freestanding candle inproximity to a lower end of a wick. The wick support has a seal thatprevents the liquid fuel from reaching the flame by capillary actionthrough the lower end of the wick.

(g) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017]FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of the preferred embodiment.

[0018]FIG. 2 is a side view of the preferred embodiment.

[0019]FIG. 3 is a view in section of the preferred embodiment.

[0020]FIG. 4 is a view in section of the preferred embodiment.

[0021]FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0022]FIG. 6 is a side view of an alternative embodiment.

[0023]FIG. 7 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0024]FIG. 8 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0025]FIG. 9 is a view in section of an alternative embodiment.

[0026]FIG. 10 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0027]FIG. 11 is a view in section of an alternative embodiment.

[0028]FIG. 12 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0029]FIG. 13 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0030]FIG. 14 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0031]FIG. 15 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0032]FIG. 16 is a view in section of an alternative embodiment.

[0033]FIG. 17 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0034]FIG. 18 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0035]FIG. 19 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0036]FIG. 20 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0037]FIG. 21 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0038]FIG. 22 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0039]FIG. 23 is a side view of an alternative embodiment.

[0040]FIG. 24 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0041]FIG. 25 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0042]FIG. 26 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0043]FIG. 27 is a view in perspective of an alternative embodiment.

[0044] In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention, which isillustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted tofor the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the inventionbe limited to the specific term so selected, and it is to be understoodthat each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operatein a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

(h) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] The utility of the invention is for a freestanding candle havinga width of at least two inches, and structural elements of the preferredembodiment are shown in FIGS. 1-4. As depicted in FIG. 1, thefreestanding candle is a fuel body 12 that has a top surface 7, a bottomsurface 13, and an outer peripheral surface 11. The fuel body 12supports a wick 10. A flame-resistant sheet 14 is joined to the fuelbody 12, which has been cut away to show a wick support 16 contactingthe sheet 14 and holding the wick 10.

[0046] The sheet 14 is flame-resistant, meaning that the sheet 14 willnot ignite when exposed to the flame on the wick 10 and the heat fromthe flame. The sheet 14 is composed of a material such as metal orplastic, and the thickness of the sheet 14 may vary. The sheet 14 inFIG. 1 is shown circular by a hyphenated line, but the sheet 14 may havea different form, such as a square shape. Preferably the sheet 14 is thegeneral shape of the pool of liquid fuel that accumulates around theflame in the interior of the fuel body 12. Also, the sheet 14 can serveas a label.

[0047]FIG. 2 shows the wick 10, the wick support 16, and the sheet 14.The sheet 14 preferably extends outwardly at least one inch from thelongitudinal axis of the wick 10. The sheet 14 is at least two incheswide, because the effectiveness of the sheet 14 diminishes below atwo-inch width. Conversely, the effectiveness of the sheet 14 increasesabove a two-inch width.

[0048]FIG. 3 is a view in vertical, axial section of the freestandingcandle undergoing normal burning, with the fuel body 12. The sheet 14extends substantially to the outer peripheral surface 11 of the fuelbody 12 and may extend all the way to the outer peripheral surface 11.Either way, the sheet 14 should sufficiently cover an area of the bottomsurface 13 that corresponds to the pool of liquid fuel, which is shadedin FIG. 3. FIGS. 1-3 show that the wick support 16 is contactedsubstantially in the center of the sheet 14.

[0049]FIG. 4 is a view in vertical, axial section of the preferred wicksupport 16, which has a barrel 25 mounted upright to a base 27. The wicksupport 16 is composed of a flame-resistant material like metal,ceramic, or plastic. A bore 21 extends upwardly through the wick support16, from a bore opening 22 in the base 27 through the barrel 25. Thebarrel 25 separates a lower end 9 of the wick 10 from the fuel body 12(not shown). A friction fit holds the lower end 9 of the wick 10 withinthe barrel 25. A sealant 17 disposed in the bore 21 prevents the liquidfuel from flowing into contact with the lower end 9 of the wick 10. Thesealant 17 may also serve to enhance support of the wick 10 by the wicksupport 16, when an excess amount of the sealant 17 disposed within thebore 21 contacts and bonds the lower end 9 of the wick 10 to the insidewall of the barrel 25.

[0050] The wick support 16 extends above the sheet 14 a lengthsufficient to prevent a candle fire, which is at least one-half inchabove the sheet 14. The barrel 25 has an increased length, which is anadvantage over shorter barrels, because a longer barrel 25 increases thedistance the flame is suspended above the pool of liquid fuel. If thereis a barrier to the flow of liquid fuel into the base 27 of the wicksupport 16 and up the wick 10, then, even when the heat from the flamemelts the fuel surrounding the base 27, no liquefied fuel can flow intothe base 27 of the wick support 16 and up the wick 10 to the flame. As aresult, the flame is extinguished when the surface of the pool of fuelfalls just below the top of the barrel 25. The longer barrel 25 resultsin a thicker candle floor once the flame is extinguished and alsoincreases the distance that the wick 10 must curl downward to reach thepool of liquid fuel and cause the dangerously large flame describedabove.

[0051] The sealant 17 is a compound that resists melting and combustingwhen exposed to the heat of the flaming wick 10, such as a thermosettingcompound or a thermoplastic. The preferred sealant 17 is aflame-resistant hot-melt thermoplastic glue called MACROMELT TPX 16-157,manufactured by Henkel and distributed by Rudolph Brothers and Company,Canal Winchester, Ohio. The sealant 17 also has adhesive properties. Thesealant 17 is disposed in the bore 21, at a position beneath the lowerend 9 of the wick 10. The sealant 17 forms a barrier to prevent liquidfuel from flowing into contact with the lower end 9 of the wick 10.

[0052] It is preferred that the sheet 14 is joined to the fuel body 12at a location in proximity to the lower end 9 of the wick 10, which isheld in the barrel 25. In proximity to means that the sheet 14 is lyingnext to, although it may not be in direct contact with, the lower end 9of the wick 10. It is most preferred that the wick support 16 issealingly adhered to the sheet 14. Sealingly adhered means the wicksupport 16 is bonded to the sheet 14 in a way that prevents the liquidfuel from flowing under the base 27 of the wick support 16, between thebase 27 and the sheet 14. The sheet 14 has an adhesive that bonds thesheet 14 to the bottom surface 13 of the fuel body 12, and the adhesivemay also serve to sealingly adhere the sheet 14 to the base 27.Alternatively or in addition, an excess amount of the sealant 17,protruding from the bore 21 through the bore opening 22 and onto thesheet 14, may bond the base 27 to the sheet 14.

[0053] Forming the bond between the wick support 16 and the sheet 14 isadvantageous to reduce the risk of certain fire hazards. First, bondingthe wick support 16 to the sheet 14 prevents the wick support 16 fromshifting laterally in the pool of liquid fuel, which would risk bringingthe flaming wick 10 into contact with the peripheral wall. Second,bonding the wick support 16 to the sheet 14 is preferred to prevent thewick support 16 from falling over and into the pool of liquid fuel.Third, the bond seals the bore 21 to prevent the liquid fuel fromcontacting the lower end 9 of the wick 10 held within the barrel 25.Consequently, the insertion of the sealant 17 into the barrel 25 of thewick support 16 becomes unnecessary, although it is still preferred.

[0054] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a sheet 114has a hole through which a barrel 125 is protruded. The edge of the holepreferably forms a tight seal in surrounding contact with the barrel125. An adhesive may be disposed between the sheet 114 and a base 127 toseal the base 127 to the sheet 114, but this is not necessary, if thetight seal in surrounding contact with the barrel 125 resists beingbreached by liquid fuel.

[0055]FIG. 7 shows an upper subsheet 80 and a bottom subsheet 90arranged to form an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 8. As shown inFIG. 8, a sheet 214 consists of the two adhesive subsheets 80 and 90contacted together. The arrangement shown in FIG. 7 results in a base227 layered between the two subsheets 80 and 90, and the upper subsheet80 has a centrally located hole through which a barrel 225 is protruded.The base 227 becomes layered and unreachable by the liquid fuel that mayflow into contact with the upper subsheet 80 by melting through thecandle floor during the later stages of burning. However, if the liquidfuel breaches the tight seal formed by the surrounding contact betweenthe edge of the hole through the upper subsheet 80 and the barrel 225,then the base 227 can be sealingly adhered to the bottom subsheet 90 tomaintain the preferred fuel-impermeability characteristic. The uppersubsheet 80 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 has a smaller area than the bottomsubsheet 90 and is circular in form, although the upper subsheet 80 mayhave an area as great as the bottom subsheet 90 and may differ in form,such as a square-shaped sheet.

[0056] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 9 a sheet 314 has aperipheral rim 24. The rim 24 has a width and a thickness. The thicknessraises and supports the fuel body 12 (not shown) level above a surfaceupon which the freestanding candle sits. FIG. 9 is a sectional view ofthe sheet 314 to show the variation in thickness of the rim 24.

[0057] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 a sheet 414has an alternating thickness. The alternating thickness raises andsupports the fuel body 12 (not shown) level above a surface upon whichthe freestanding candle sits. FIG. 11 is side view with the sheet 414 insection to show a pattern for the variation in thickness.

[0058] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 12 a sheet 514 has anupward flange 34 at the outer boundary. The flange 34 is angled upwardrelative to the sheet 514. Similarly, FIG. 13 shows a sheet 614 having aflange 44 angled downward relative to the sheet 614.

[0059] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 14 a sheet 714 iscorrugated. FIG. 14 shows an example of one corrugation pattern,although the pattern could differ, such as a circular corrugationpattern.

[0060] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 a sheet 814is dome-shaped. FIG. 15 is a view of the dome-shaped sheet 814, with thefuel body 12 omitted for clarity. As shown by the sectional view in FIG.16, a cylindrical wick support 316 is formed continuous with the concaveunderside of the dome-shaped sheet 814, extending downwardly from acentrally located hole.

[0061] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 17 an enlarged sheet914 is for a freestanding candle having an enlarged fuel body 212 andmore than one wick 110. The sheet 914 of FIG. 17 is adhered to a bottomsurface 213 of the fuel body 212. The sheet 914 has a large area andextends substantially to an outer peripheral surface 211 of the fuelbody 212, thereby ensuring that any shape of the pool of liquid fuelproduced by multiple burning wicks has a corresponding area on thebottom surface 213 that is covered by the sheet 914. Alternatively, FIG.18 shows that multiple single sheets 915 can be used to obtain the sameeffect.

[0062] In an alternative embodiment, FIG. 19 shows a sheet 815 imbeddedwithin a cylinder-shaped fuel body 312. Imbedding enhances theaesthetics of the freestanding candle, which consumers often purchasefor the variety of shapes and lack of visible structures such as acontainer or a base. FIG. 20 also shows a freestanding candle having thesheet 715 imbedded within a pyramid-shaped fuel body 412. In FIGS. 19and 20, the sheets 815 and 715 are imbedded near the bottom surfaces 313and 413 to maximize the amount of fuel consumed by the flame, andtherefore the life of the candle.

[0063]FIG. 21 depicts the in situ formation of a wick support 416 shownin FIG. 22. First, a wick 210 is contacted upright to a central area ona sheet 615. Second, a flame-resistant agent 18 is disposed on thesurface of a lower end 209 of the wick 210 and on the immediatelysurrounding area of the sheet 615. Subsequently the flame-resistantagent 18 polymerizes, thereby supporting and sealingly adhering the wick210 upright to the sheet 615.

[0064] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 23-25, a lower end309 of a wick 310 is impregnated with a solid flame-resistant agent 118,such as MACROMELT TPX 16-157, to form a wick support 516. The lower end309 is impregnated in advance, away from a sheet 515, and is thencontacted upright to a central region on the sheet 515. Subsequentpolymerization of the flame-resistant agent 118 provides support for thewick 310. The solid flame-resistant agent 118 does not create a widerdiameter for the wick 310. Rather, the lower end 309 of the wick 310only becomes sealed by the agent 118 occupying void areas in the lowerend 309 of the wick 310, thereby prohibiting capillary action of theliquid fuel through the void areas.

[0065] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 26 a wick support 616is a block of a solid, flame-resistant material like glass, metal, orceramic. The wick support 616 sits on a sheet 415 and has a bore 121extending vertically into the wick support 616 a depth sufficient tohold a lower end 409 of a wick 410. The bore 121 does not extend throughthe wick support 616, so the bottom of the wick support 616 is solid andimpervious to liquid fuel.

[0066] In an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 27, a wick support 716is contacted perpendicular to a sheet 315. The wick support 716 is atube that is mounted upright and sealingly adhered to the sheet 315 bythe adhesive already on the sheet 315. Thus, the wick support 716 isimpervious to the flow of liquid fuel.

[0067] While certain preferred embodiments of the present invention havebeen disclosed in detail, it is to be understood that variousmodifications may be adopted without departing from the spirit of theinvention or scope of the following claims.

1. A freestanding candle, in an operable position having a wicksupported by a fuel body and extending upwardly from a top surface ofthe fuel body, the candle comprising: (a) a flame-resistant sheet joinedto the fuel body in proximity to a lower end of the wick and extendingoutwardly at least substantially one inch from the longitudinal axis ofthe wick; and (b) an upright wick support contacting the sheet andholding the lower end of the wick, the support forming a barrierseparating the lower end of the wick from the fuel body.
 2. The candleof claim 1, wherein the wick support is attached to the sheet.
 3. Thecandle of claim 2, wherein the wick support is sealingly bonded to thesheet.
 4. The candle of claim 3, wherein the sheet has an adhesivebacking that bonds to the wick support and the bottom surface of thefuel body.
 5. The candle of claim 1, wherein the wick support has asealant disposed at least across an opening to a bore extending throughthe wick support.
 6. The candle of claim 1, wherein the wick support isformed in situ unitarily with the wick.
 7. The candle of claim 6,wherein the wick support is a solid, flame-resistant agent disposed on asurface of the lower end of the wick.
 8. The candle of claim 6, whereinthe wick support is a solid, flame-resistant agent impregnating thelower end of the wick.
 9. The candle of claim 7 or 8, wherein the wicksupport is bonded to the sheet by the flame-resistant agent.
 10. Thecandle of claim 1, wherein the wick support is a block of solid,flame-resistant material.
 11. The candle of claim 1, wherein the wicksupport extends above the sheet an amount sufficient to prevent a candlefire.
 12. The candle of claim 11, wherein the amount sufficient toprevent a candle fire is at least about one-half inch.
 13. The candle ofclaim 1, wherein the sheet extends substantially to an outer peripheralsurface of the fuel body.
 14. The candle of claim 1, wherein the sheethas a peripheral rim having a thickness greater than the sheet.
 15. Thecandle of claim 1, wherein the sheet has a flange at an outer boundary.16. The candle of claim 1, wherein the sheet is imbedded within the fuelbody.
 17. The candle of claim 1, wherein the sheet is adhered to thebottom surface of the fuel body.
 18. The candle of claim 1, wherein thesheet is corrugated.
 19. The candle of claim 1, wherein the sheet isdome-shaped.
 20. The candle of claim 1, wherein the fuel body hasmultiple wicks.
 21. The candle of claim 20, wherein each flame-resistantsheet in proximity to each wick extends at least one inch from thelongitudinal axis of each wick.
 22. The candle of claim 1, wherein thewick support is crimped.
 23. A method of forming an upright wick supporton a wick of a freestanding candle, the method comprising: (a)impregnating in advance an end region of said wick with aflame-resistant sealant; and (b) bonding said end region of said wick toa flame-resistant sheet.